Desert Adventure
by John Silver fan
Summary: Rajah is about to go on an adveture of his own. An unlikely ally will join him. He must learn to trust him if he is to survive this adventure!
1. Chapter 1

I ran across the desert as fast as I could.The sand entered the wounds I already had, causing them to burn. A pack of jackals was right behind me. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer. Then I tripped and fell. I lay on the ground, out of breath and exhausted. 

One jackal pounced on me! I closed my eyes, expecting to feel its sharp teeth sink into me. Instead something knocked it off me! I heard its yelp of pain.

I opened my eyes and couldn't believe what I saw.

Standing between the jackals and I, sword drawn, was Cassim, Aladdin's father! I couldn't believe it. It had been over a year since I last saw him.

Cassim fought the jackals off then turned to me. His dark brown eyes were kind and soft. He slowly walked towards me. I was too tired to move so I merely growled at him.

"Easy, Rajah. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

I was surprised at the kindness in his voice.

He kept coming towards me. It was clear that he wasn't afraid of me.

As he got closer I growled louder. I snarled at him when he was about two feet away. He stopped for the first time.

"Okay. I'll leave you alone for a moment. I need to get some things from my horse anyway."

He turned and walked away. He came back a few moments later with two saddle bags slung over his shoulder. He put them down.

I watched as Cassim opened one and took out some food. Only then did I realize that I was _very_ hungry.

Cassim started a fire and cooked some of the meat he had. He put it on one of the plates he had with him and slowly walked towards me again.

Again, I growled at him.

"Rajah, you're too tired and weak to get up and come get it. Just let me bring it to you. I want to help you. Jasmine sent me out here to find and help you."

When heard that I stopped growling. Cassim smiled and put the plate down in front of me. I ate it hungrily.

Cassim put a large bowl of water down in front of me. I eagerly drank it.

"Slow down, Rajah. You can't just gulp it down like that. Its a few hundred miles to the next oasis where we can get more."

I forced myself to slow down.

Just then I felt Cassim's hand touch my head. I stopped drinking, lifted me head, and looked at him.

His large hand was callous but gentle. The kindess in his touch amazed me. I could see that he had changed for the better since I last saw him.

As I continued to drink the water Cassim cleaned and bandgaed my wounds so they wouldn't get infected.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning when I awoke, I looked over at where Cassim had slept and saw that he was gone! I looked around wildly. 

Suddenly I heard someone whistling. They were coming towards me. I looked over in the direction it was coming from and got ready for anything.

Cassim came around the corner of the nearby cliff. He was the one that was whistling.

I relaxed as soon as I saw it was him.

I listened to his whistling for a moment. I didn't know the tune he was whistling, but I liked it.

Cassim over to me, stopped whistling, bent down, slowly reached out, and stroked my head.

"Good morning, Rajah."

His deep voice was cheerful and almost carefree. I had _never_ heard him talk in that kind of voice.

"How are you this morning?"

"Good."

Cassim let out a yelp of fright as he jumped back. His feet slipped out from underneath him as he landed, and he tumbled over backwards.

Once he regained his breathe he sat up and stared at me.

"You,... you can talk?"

"Yeah. Chaos put a spell on me so I could talk. The others know I can talk, but I don't talk very often."

"No offense, but I'd be less surprised and startled to hear my horse ask why I was helping a tiger."

I laughed.

"Now that would scary."

Cassim got over his fright and gave me more food and water.

"Do you think you're strong enough to walk?"

"Only one way to find out."

Cassim helped me up. I took a few steps forward. I walked around the campsite. Cassim walked beside me, ready to steady me if I stumbled or catch me if I fell.

"What are you doing way out here anyway?"

"Chaos has been sending me on these crazy adventures. He said that I need a friend to help me on this one."

"Let me take a wild guess, I'm that friend."

"It looks that way. Are you up to it?"

"Rajah, you're talking to the former King of Thieves. Yeah I'm up to it."

I laughed again.

"Lets get going."

Before long we set off into the desert.


	3. Chapter 3

I walked alongside Cassim's large chestnut stallion, Sabeek. The stallion was uneasy around me but decided that I could be trusted since Cassim trusted me. 

Never before had I ever seen someone ride the way Cassim rode. It was as though he was part of the horse. When Sabeek turned Cassim moved his body in that direction. He moved with the stallion. He rode with such ease I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't seeing it with my own two eyes.

He was the best rider I had _ever_ seen, and I had seen the what were said to be the best riders in the Seven Deserts! Cassim was _far_ greater than they had been!

When I asked him how he rode so well he chuckled and told me that his spirit was one with his horse's spirit. I asked him what that meant, and he chuckled again. He told me that it couldn't really be explained so I dropped the subject.

We stopped in nearest oasis that night. Cassim refilled his water bags and bought more supplies.

People were frightened and confused to see me with him. Before we went to sleep I decided to play a prank on Cassim.

I snuck up behind him and playfully pounced on him. He quickly caught on, and before I knew it we were playfully wrestling near the waterhole of the oasis.

Finally we stopped, breathing heavily. We noticed that people were staring at us.

Cassim sat up, laughed, and stroked me fur. I found myself purring as he stroked me! I purred quite loudly, too.

"Rajah, you could wake up anyone that's sleeping just by purring."

I forced myself to quiet down, but I still purred.


	4. Chapter 4

Days later we were in a canyon when we suddenly heard a fierce roar! We stopped and looked around. Then a lion jumped down in front of us! 

Sabeek spooked, reared, came down, and shied violently. Cassim was thrown from the saddle. The stallion bolted in the opposite direction.

Cassim got to his feet and drew his sword. I extended my front claws and bared my teeth.

The lion pounced Cassim, knocking his sword from his hand. Its claws dug into Cassim's left shoulder! I knocked it off Cassim and began to fight it.

I don't know how long the fight went on. At one point I was thrown against the side of canyon. I was hurt badly and couldn't move!

The lion advanced on me. Before it was even ten feet away from me it was tackled from the side by Cassim. Its teeth sank into his right leg.

Cassim cried out in pain. He drove his sword into the lion's chest, killing it. Then he limped over to me.

He dropped to his knees beside me.

"Oh, Rajah."

At that moment I lost consciousness. I slowly regained consciousness hours later. I could tell that my wounds had been cleaned and bandaged. I felt Cassim's hand gentlty stroking the top of my head.

I became aware of the fact that my head was laying in his lap. I slowly opened my eyes. My whole body hurt! I glanced up without moving my head and saw that Cassim's eyes were closed. Then I saw his left hand in front of my face.

I licked it to get his attention. His eyes sprang open, and he looked at me.

"Rajah?"

"Yeah?" I managed to say.

Cassim sighed in relief.

"I was beginning to think you were gone."

I moved to get up but was held down by Cassim.

"Stay down. You're too weak and too hurt to move a lot right now."

Cassim began to cook some of meat. He gave me a bowl of water, which I drank slowly, savoring each gulp. When the meat was done he fed it to me. I willingly took it from his hand.

When I was strong enough, we set off once again. Before long Cassim began whistling. After a while I knew the tune by heart.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later while Cassim was cooking dinner he began whistling. 

I looked up at him. Since I was across from him I could see his face. I looked at his eyes and was surprised by what I saw.

His dark brown eyes were filled with an emotion I didn't know. It was like a mixture of peace, sorrow, joy, love, guilt, longing, contentment, and lonliness!

Finally, I knew that if I didn't ask him what tune he was whistling I was going to go crazy!

"Cassim?"

He stopped whistling and looked up at me.

"Yeah, Rajah?"

"What tune are you whistling?"

He heasitated for a moment. I tired to look into his eyes, but he lowered his head, refusing to meet my gaze.

"What tune is it? I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to, I promise."

He suddenly sniffed, reached up, and wiped away something.

"Cassim, are you okay?"

Cassim lifted his head, and I saw tears in his eyes and trickling down his face! I was shocked.

"Why are you crying?"

"I whistle the tune of the song I made for Carina, Aladdin's mother, the morning after our wedding. I tell of how I feel about her, how much she means to me, how much I love her, and more."

"If she's gone why do you still whistle it?"

"I whistle it to try to comfort myself and keep going, knowing that she would want me to live my life to its fullest."

"Does it work?"

"No."

Before I could say anything else Cassim burst into tears. I went over to him and nuzzled his face, where I could since his face was buried in his hands. He looked at me, still crying.

I pulled him to me and let him cry in my fur! I put my leg around him as he cried.

"Cassim."

"Yeah?" came the muffled and choked response.

"These past nights I've heard you crying softly."

Cassim pulled back and looked at me.

"What?"

"I've heard you crying softly at night. Is this why?"

Cassim nodded. He pulled himself together and finished making dinner.


	6. Death can Strike Anyone Anywhere

Days later we reached an area known as Volcano Crater. It was huge crater made by a meteor with mini volcanic craters. 

The tiny craters were about three feet around. They erupted with hot steam with such a force that it could kill you!

Cassim dismounted, took the saddle bags off, and strapped them to his back, and turned Sabeek back the way we had come.

"Go home, boy."

He gave the stallion a clap on the shoulder as he spoke.

Sabeek took off back towards the lair of the Forty Thieves.

Cassim and I caustiously entered Volcano Crater.

The mini craters erupted around at different times.

We had been going for about half an hour when Cassim suddenly stopped.

"What is it?"

"Shh."

I listened closely but didn't hear anything!

Cassim turned around and looked behind us. His face turned pale!

"Rajah, run."

"Why?"

All of the sudden a tall, muscular, bald, gray skined man jumped down in front of us! He had three blades on his left hand!

"That's why!"

Cassim and I ran towards the other side of Volcano Crater.

"Who is this guy? What's he after?"

"Sa'luk, one of the Forty Thieves. He's after me. I don't get it, though. Aladdin and I saw him turn to gold. How is he chasing us?"

"I think I know. Mozenrath."

"Most likely."

Suddenly Cassim tripped over a rock and fell! I went back to him.

"Cassim, are you okay?"

"I sprained my ankle."

"Come on. I'll help you up."

Cassim looked back behind us.

"No. You go on."

"And leave you behind to face him alone with a sprained ankle? No way."

"Rajah, go! Sa'luk _will_ kill _anyone_ that stands his way! If I do end up beating him I _don't_ want to have to tell Jasmine that you've been killed."

"I can't leave you behind."

"Go!"

"But,..."

"Go, Rajah! Run! Get out of here!"

I stood still for a moment.

"Go now! Hurry! Get out while you still can! Find another way back to Agrabah! Get as far away from here as you can! Go!"

As he yelled Cassim swung his fist at me! I turned and ran.

I was almost out of Volcano Crater when I heard a scream of pain then evil laughter!

I stopped, lowered my head, and let the tears flow freely down my face.

I turned around and ran back.

I pounced on Sa'luk from behind, determined to avenge Cassim!

I bit him in the back of the neck, killing him.

I got off him, spat the blood out of my mouth, licked the blood off my mouth, spat that out, and turned to Cassim.

He was laying on his back, his left side bleeding.

I carefully lifted him up onto my back and carried him out of Volcano Crater.


	7. Life can Touch Anyone Anywhere

I stopped just outside of Volcano Crater and settled down for the night since the sun was going down.

I lay down beside Cassim. I gently licked his face.

To my great surprise and joy he moaned and weakly opened his eyes! He was still alive!

"Cassim! You're still alive!"

I gently lifted up onto my back again and carried him to a town that, luckily, wasn't very far away.

A young couple said they would help.

The young man led me into the barn they had. He put a bed of straw in one of the stalls, and I curled up in it and fell alseep.

The next morning I awoke, got up, stretched, yawned, and shook my head.

Cassim and the couple came out.

I asked Cassim how he felt. He told me he was still in quite a bit of pain, but he was used to pain like it so it didn't bother him much.

He was tough and a fighter. 


	8. Chapter 8

It was about a month before Cassim's side healed. Finally, we were ready to go. We thanked the couple and set off towards the horizion. 

With the sun rising behind us, we walked across the sand.

Cassim walked with sure, effortless, steady strides. I couldn't help but admire him.

He was the strongest, bravest, wisest, fastest, most cunning, slyest, swiftest, most agile, most sleathy man I had ever seen!

He was as strong as two champion fighters! He was strong physically and emotionally, most of the time. He wasn't one to let his emotions show very often. It was very rare for his emotions to show, depending on what emotion it was.

I realized that I felt more at home with Cassim than I did back at the palace with Jasmine and the gang!

I was saddened when I realized that I would have to say good-bye to Cassim and, probably, _never_ see him again.

Days later we reached a cave. We cautiously entered it. We found a treasure deep within the cave!

Suddenly Chaos appeared.

"Well done, Rajah."

He clapped his paws together, and the next thing we knew we were back in Agrabah in the menagerie!


	9. Goodbye

Cassim had to leave before he was thrown back in prison. He said good-bye to the gang then turned to me. 

I lowered my head sadly.

I felt his hand slip under my chin, and he lifted my head so I was looking into his eyes.

"Rajah, I'll _never_ forget this adventure. I'll _never_ forget _you_."

I hugged him tightly, and he hugged me back. After a moment he pulled away and left.

For many days I wasn't myself. Finally Jasmine asked me what was wrong.

"I miss Cassim."

"We all do, Rajah."

"No, you don't understand. I felt more at home when I was with him than I do when I'm here."

I looked at her, expecting to see a hurt look on her face. Instead she was smiling!

"I think I do understand. Go."

"Huh?"

"Go to the layer of the Forty Thieves. That's where Cassim and Iago are living. You belong with him now."

I hugged her and took off running towards the layer. I reached it hours later and went in by the land entrance.

Cassim's back was facing me so I sunk up behind and pounced on him.

"Whoa! What the..."

Cassim relaxed when he saw it was me.

"Rajah?! What are you doing here?"

I told him what had happened. I got off him, and he stood up.

"I guess that settles it, then. Welcome home, Rajah."


End file.
